The Voyagers in… California
by RevvEmUp
Summary: Twelfth installation of The Voyagers. Months after their adventure to Russia, The Voyagers have temporarily disbanded. That is, until a mysterious message comes to them, summoning them to the place where Simon was born and raised: California.
1. Chapter 1

In 2007, a seven-year-old Simon was in the playground of his kindergarten reading a book on Ancient Rome on a bench as the other children were playing. "These guys have really long names." Simon noted. Sitting next to him on the bench was Alvin Monk, age seven. "Hi, I'm Alvin." Alvin greeted Simon. "I'm Simon." Simon replied.

"What're you reading?" Alvin asked. "A book about Ancient Rome." Simon answered. "Wow, you must be really smart!" Alvin commented. "I just like old things." Simon added. A chubby green-shirted child approaches the two with a lollipop in his mouth.

"You guys are Simon and Alvin, right?" the child asked them. "Yeah. What's your name?" Simon asked the child. "I'm Theodore." Theodore answered. "Hey… Alvin, Simon, Theodore… it's like that movie coming soon with the singing chipmunks!" Simon realized. "This must mean we should be friends!" Alvin said.

"I think that sounds good." Simon agreed. "Let's promise to be best friends forever!" Alvin declared. "Yeah!" Theodore agreed. "I always wanted to have friends." Simon also agreed. "Then it's settled: we're gonna be best friends forever!" Alvin exclaimed

In the months following The Voyagers' mission to Alpha Centauri, Minerva has united the cities and towns visited and connected all by a network of spacebridges. The Voyagers now operate on an international scale with branches all over the world. In those months, the three original recruits returned to Founders Island to celebrate a winter Founders Island holiday. As The Voyagers Ooo branch were temporarily on leave, Finn and Jake returned to adventuring all over Ooo, meeting new friends, fighting old enemies, and plundering dungeons. Today, Finn and Jake were in The Voyagers base prepping for their next adventure.

"So, what should we do first? I hear there were some earthquakes that opened up some caves." Finn asked Jake. "That sounds like a good idea. I'm all in for it!" Jake agreed. Finn zipped up his backpack and the two headed for the elevator when Simon arrives in the elevator. "Hey, guys." Simon greeted them. "Hey, Simon. Wanna go spelunking with us?" Jake asked.

"Your mom called me. She said we have another mission." Simon said. The main screen in the base activates, displaying Minerva on it. "That is correct." Minerva said. "I guess the caves can wait." Finn said. "So, what do you have for us?" Jake asked.

"We received a letter last night addressed to The Voyagers." Minerva began before the screen displays a scan of the letter.

* * *

To the ones who has explored

I am not one to be ignored

In the wasteland devoid of soul

Down the ancient home of the mole

Finding me will be a breeze

Go to the place where the brains freeze

* * *

"It's a riddle." Finn said. "That's not all. Shortly after the letter was received, a Secure-T protoform arrived at the Hub Dome and delivered a cryogenic freezer before deactivating." Minerva continued. "It delivered a fridge?" Jake said. "Not quite. A cryogenic freezer is used to preserve human body parts such as vital organs. This one carried a brain." Minerva explained. "Was it alive?" Finn asked. "Yes. I extracted it into a cloud chamber and successfully conversed with her. Conveniently, she knows of a possible location from the last line of the riddle: Cephalon Cryogenics." Minerva continued.

"I know Cephalon Cryogenics, but it's all the way in California!" Simon said. "And the aforementioned state is missing on our recent satellite scans." Minerva added. "What if it was teleported somewhere else like Russia?" Jake suggested. "If my theory is correct, that's exactly what happened." Minerva added. "From Russia's records, a meteor or a comet struck the Earth, teleporting Russia to Alpha Centauri. Residual energies affected the rest of the world, teleporting as small as fauna from Texas to Australia, to as big as parts of entire landmasses forming new islands, such as Ooo. We found many landmarks of other countries all around Ooo and believe some of the former Los Angeles area composes most of Ooo's landmass." Minerva explained.

"So where is that Cryogenics place?" Jake asked. "According to data from the recovered protoform, it was located underneath the area the locals call the Desert of Wonder." Minerva answered. "I remember that place. It was crawling with goo monsters." Finn said. "And because of the need to traverse through tunnels we have recruited a new Autobot member and have built another Transtector." Minerva added. "Who is it?" Jake asked.

Ascending from the elevator was a familiar face; Backfire, an old friend of Simon's friend. "Backfire, you're joining?" Simon asked Backfire. "You got that right." Backfire answered. Next to Backfire on the elevator was a purple motorcycle, the same model that Elita-Two Prime transforms into. "This is Chop Shop, the third Transtector unit." Minerva introduced the machine.

"Yeah, a bike's more my style!" Finn said as he ran to Chop Shop. He was ogling at the machine as he rubbed his fingers all over the chassis. "Because of its size, it can be used alongside other non-Autobot members where they otherwise cannot reach. This exact reason is why I recruited Backfire: for his size." Minerva elaborated. "So, when are we going?" Jake asked Minerva. "You should go now. Your mission is to not only locate the sender of this riddle, but also to recover any frozen brains from Cephalon Cryogenics." Minerva commanded.

"Yes, ma'am!" Simon saluted alongside Backfire. The four enter the elevator and descend. "Come back soon for dinner!" Minerva quickly reminded Finn and Jake. As soon as they leave, a robotic arm pulls a panel off a wall and pulled out a small peppermint-shaped robotic spy spider for Minerva to take a look at it. "I thought you were better than this, Princess. Come see me tonight." Minerva said to the drone's camera eyes before crushing it with the robot arm.

In the Desert of Wonder, the astronaut-suit-equipped Voyagers were driving through the wasteland with Simon riding on Backfire's three-wheeled motorcycle mode as Finn and Jake rode on Chop Shop. They soon come across the same hole Finn and Jake once descended into with Princess Bubblegum and the late James years ago. They park a few metres away from the edge for Backfire to transform into robot mode. "So, how do we get down there?" Backfire wondered as he looks down the hole. "Last time we got out from some slopes at the side." Finn answered as he and Jake walk to the hole.

They all look down and see the great depth of the hole. At the very bottom was the melted remains of Princess Bubblegum's exploration tripod. "Ready your weapons, guys." Finn advised before they climb down the zig-zagging slopes at the side of the hole. Backfire readies twin assault rifles, Simon and Jake held M.H.M.s in their hands, and Finn brandishes his Night Sword, while Chop Shop follows them autonomously in vehicle mode. "What do these goo monsters look like? Green, have holes on their faces and barf acid goo?" Simon asked Finn.

"Yeah, something like that." Finn confirmed. "I think I remembered encountering them with Marceline a thousand years ago. Nasty things. The only way I stopped them was with my Ice King powers." Simon continued. They soon get to the bottom where they become even more alert for goo monsters. "Watch your back. They can come out of the ground at any moment." Finn warned his team. As they walked, they found no indication of life, including the goo monsters.

The ground started to rumble for The Voyagers to huddle back-to-back, ready to face whatever threat is thrown a them. "Get ready!" Finn yelled. The quake stops after a few seconds as the four were still on their guard. A wall in front of Jake crumbled, revealing a cave. "Guys, a cave!" Jake alerted the others.

"Looks like we're going to explore some caves after all." Finn said as he and the team looked at the cave. They continue into the cave with their weapons drawn. They walk through a network of tunnels leading further underground. Eventually they are led to a large cavern where they gaze upon a sunken street filled with roads, houses, and derelict cars, lit by only dimly-flickering street lights and the team's helmet-mounted headlamps and Backfire's bright blue eyes. "It's like there's an entire neighbourhood in here!" Jake noted.

"This place… I know this place…" Simon said before running into the street. "Simon, wait up!" Finn yelled to Simon before chasing after him. As Simon ran down the cracked road, he looks left and right at the houses around the street as if he was looking for something. He stops before a suburban home and goes inside as the rest of the team catches up. "Simon!" Backfire yelled to Simon.

Inside the house was a dusty living room that was dimly-lit by a few flickering lights. Simon was scrambling around the room in search for something. The rest of the team enters the house and sees Simon pulling apart piles of rubble and miscellaneous items. "Y'know, we don't usually loot until after our main goal." Jake told Simon. "Simon… did you used to live here?" Finn asked Simon as he was pushing a cabinet away from a wall.

After some straining, Simon pushes the cabinet onto the floor and retrieves a picture frame that was stuck behind it. "I… I did. This was my parents' place." Simon told Finn as he presented the dusty frame to them. He dusts it off, revealing Simon as a child with his parents, though their faces are obscured by stains and dust. "This is the place where I grew up; Tranquility, California." Simon added. "Weird that we ended up here of all places." Finn said.

"If all this were back on the surface, Cephalon would be miles from here." Simon added. "How do you know so much about Cephalon Cryogenics?" Backfire asked. "I… I had a friend who…" Simon answered slowly. "It's fine, Simon. You don't have to say anymore." Finn told Simon. Outside, they hear the sound of a twig snapping.

"Someone or something's here." Backfire said as he readied his rifles. They all slowly walk to the door with their weapons, Finn peeking from the edge of the door frame. "On three, we jump 'em." Finn whispered to the team. "Three!" he screamed. They all leap out of the door screaming and come face-to-face with Susan Strong and her friend Frieda, both ready to attack with scavenged swords.

"Susan!" Finn yelled. "Finn!" Susan responded. The two drop their weapons and hug. "It's great to see you guys!" Finn told Susan. "You too, Finn!" Susan agreed.

"You know these guys?" Backfire asked Finn. "Yeah I do! Simon, Backfire, this is Susan Strong and her friend Frieda. We met them on Founders Island a while back." Finn introduced the two. "Susan, Frieda, this is Simon and Backfire. Simon used to be Ice King, and Backfire is an alien robot that can turn into a motorcycle." Finn introduced his team to Susan and Frieda. "Wow, a real alien!" Frieda said excitedly as she ran up to him. "What planet did you come from? Do you have weird robot food there? Do you have a space ship?" Frieda asked Backfire excitedly.

"Cybertron, yes, and I lost my ship license." Backfire answered in order. "Hello, Miss Strong. We haven't met formally, but I was the security at the Battle of the Bands a while back." Simon greeted Susan as he extended his hand to her. "Oh yeah, you were security!" Susan recalled. "So, what brings you here, Susan?" Finn asked Susan. "Oh, y'know, adventuring, and stuff." Susan answered.

From the horizon, they all hear low rumbling. "Is that another earthquake?" Frieda wondered. "No, that's an engine roaring." Backfire said as he raised his rifles. Drifting into the street were three of Lockdown's muscle car drones that quickly transform to face the six. "Looks like we'll have to catch up later, Susan." Finn told Susan.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Backfire starts shooting at the larger drones as Simon ran for cover. Finn is launched by Jake at one of the drones to furiously poke into its crevices with his night sword. "We have to help them!" Susan said. "How? They're giant robots and we're tiny compared to them!" Frieda wondered. Susan looks at Chop Shop leaning against a picket fence in vehicle mode.

She throws the motorcycle at the drone Finn is attacking. Finn sees the incoming motorcycle and jumps off before it crashes into the drone's face, leaving it dented and Chop Shop slightly dented as it lands on the cracked pavement. "Thanks, Susan!" Finn thanked Susan. "Let's try out Chop Shop to beat these punks down!" Jake suggested. "Yeah!" Finn agreed as he held up his Master Belt.

He places it on his waist, inserts the Master Brace, and shouts "Head on!" at the top of his lungs. His body is instantly transformed into a slimmer purple Headmaster mode before the two adventurers. "Woah! Instant armour!" Susan responded in awe. Chop Shop transforms into a robot mode bearing Elita-Two Prime's body-type and runs directly at Finn. Chop Shop picks up Finn and, instead of transforming into a head, places him in a cavity where its neck should be where a silver wing-like mask forms on his face.

Now standing at equal height of Backfire, he leaps at the remaining drone with his Night Sword. As Backfire was shooting at a drone, Chop Shop clings onto its shoulders and stabs into the crevices between its armour plating. As the drone was trying to get Chop Shop off, Simon burns a hole in its chest with a M.H.M. as he was under cover by a door frame. "Took you long enough!" Backfire yelled to Simon. "I swear I'm more accurate than this!" Simon yelled back.

The drone collapses when Chop Shop jumps off and lands before Susan and Frieda. Finn emerges from Chop Shop, jumps down, and removes his Master Belt, reverting back to his astronaut suit. "That was amazing!" Susan complimented Finn. "Thanks, Susan." Finn replied. "Since you two aren't using suits, it looks like this place is radiation free." Simon said as he removed his helmet.

Finn and Jake also remove their suits and throw them at Backfire carrying a box. "Hey, you have a new arm again!" Susan pointed at Finn's skin-covered robot arm. "Nah, this is another robot arm. It has some fake human skin on. Mom gave it to me." Finn corrected as he wiggles his robot fingers. "So, back to our conversation. What are you guys doing here?" Frieda asked. "We're looking for some place that has some frozen brains and rescue them!" Finn answered. "And those car robots, are they also Cybertron aliens?" Susan asked.

"They're drones. Think of them as robots of robots. They don't have feelings like I do, and are purely artificial." Backfire explained. "They're Lockdown's. He's a dangerous space bounty hunter, and it looks like he's down here, too." Jake added. "We've been down here for weeks. We haven't seen any giant car robots, but I think we know where this frozen brain place is." Susan told them. "We can tell from the giant frozen brain sign. It's not too far from here, actually." Frieda added. "Really? Can you lead us to it?" Simon requested.

"Sure. Follow me!" Susan agreed. The Voyagers proceed to follow Susan and Frieda down the road. "So, what kinds of adventures have you guys went on?" Finn asked Susan. "We've been to a lot of places outside Ooo." Frieda began. "There was London, Detroit, Tokyo, places you guys probably never heard of." Susan added.

"Well, about that…" Finn began as they all entered a cave tunnel. During much more tunnel-travelling, the two parties exchange stories of their exploits around the world. "You've been to space?!" Frieda said excitedly. "Yep! That's gotta beat your trip to Antarctica." Jake confirmed confidently. "And it turns out, that giant chunk in the Earth was transported to another planet in another system." Finn added.

They soon emerge into another cavern where an entire city block was buried; skyscrapers scraping the cave ceiling, cracked pavement across the ground, and ruined cars scattered about. "Are we here?" Finn asked Susan. "No, the place is another cavern down." Susan answered. "Do you recognize this place, Simon?" Jake asked. "This… I think this is downtown L.A., and Cephalon is around this area, corresponding with Miss Strong's account." Simon answered.

"Simon, how do you know so much about Cephalon? You don't look like a medical kinda guy." Jake asked Simon. "Well, I had a friend who was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Using lottery money, he signed up for Cephalon's brain freezing project with the promise he would be thawed and cured in the future. I just hope he's still there." Simon explained. "That must've been though. Don't worry, if that brain mom found made it to Hub City, then the others may still be alive." Finn assured Simon. "Speaking of that, your mom said a Secure-T drone carried it there. Why did it deliver the brain there? Did someone program it to do that?" Jake wondered. "We'll find out once we get there." Finn said.

They soon hear the faint rumble of car engines around the corner. "Hide!" Susan warned them. They all flee into a nearby building and peek out of the shattered glass door frame. Driving past the corner was a squad of three drones in robot mode, led by the dirty-yellow-coloured leader drone. They stop at the junction to transform into robot mode and survey the area.

"How many of these guys are there?" Susan wondered. "We were chased by about a hundred of these guys back in Mexico." Jake answered. "Lockdown used the spark of an ancient Cybertronian called Solus Prime to create armies of them instantly." Simon added. "Did you say Solus Prime? I thought her return was just a rumour." Backfire said. "Be quiet! They'll hear us." Frieda warned them.

The drones cease surveying and transform into muscle cars to continue their search along the road, with the exception of the leader, who stayed back at the junction. "Why's he still here?" Simon whispered. The leader walks down the same street where the team's hiding place in the abandoned building is. "He's coming this way!" Finn panicked. "If he spots us, run." Backfire told his team as he held up his assault rifles.

The leader walks down the street past the team under the building. The leader looks over the corner of another building with his back turned to the team. "Let's go while he's distracted!" Jake said. The team runs out of the building and follows Susan and Frieda down the road the rest of the drones left to. As they ran through the street, they pass the drones as they searched in another street.

The drones take notice of this and chase after them in vehicle mode, but not before remotely alerting their leader. "They're on our tail!" Jake exclaimed. Backfire jumps into the air and lands on top of one drone. The two drones between him have machine guns mounted on their rear windows aim at him. Backfire disables the machine guns with his own guns while shooting holes in their windows.

He produces two grenades from a compartment on his back and throws them into the holes he shot into the drones. The drone he stood upon began to transform when the other drones explode, sending Backfire flying into the air. "I got him!" Jake sad as he stretched his hands to catch Backfire. He pulls Backfire from the air and puts him down gently on the ground. "Thanks, Jake." Backfire thanked Jake.

"That was amazing!" Susan told Backfire. "It's one of the perks of having a small frame." Backfire replied. From the fiery wreckage, the drone leader speeds towards the team. "Look out!" Simon yelled. Upon seeing Simon, the leader swerves away from the group and crashes into a building.

It transforms into robot mode and begins screaming with a distorted tone as it clutches its head. The team backs away as they look in horror. The drone leader transforms into vehicle mode and drives away from the team. "What's up with that guy?" Jake wondered. "It did that back when we were in Mexico, too." Simon noted.

"Come on, we gotta get to those brains fast!" Finn hurried the team. They continue following Susan and Frieda, now knowing they were watched by third party from a ruined building. They approach another tunnel that should lead them to the cavern where Cephalon Cryogenics should be. After another long walk they emerge through the other end and find themselves in a similar-looking city ruin. "Finn, is there a way to quiet down your motorcycle? There are native here and we'll want to keep quiet to avoid them." Susan asked.

"Natives? Like Hyoomans?" Finn asked. "I don't know. We saw them a few times and they almost attacked us. They used guns and dressed up like soldiers." Susan said. "Could they be real humans?" Jake wondered. "If they are, it's a miracle they've survived down here for so long." Simon said. Finn remotely transforms Chop Shop into robot mode using a holographic interface projecting from his robot arm.

"Remember, we have to keep quiet around these parts." Frieda reminded The Voyagers. They silently walk into the city, even Backfire and Chop Shop managed to step silently thanks to their relatively short stature. They walk through the city when they hear an explosion around a corner. They spy around the corner and see multiple drones fighting the camo-clad natives Susan mentioned. As described before, the natives wear green army uniforms with gas masks covering their face and helmets to protect their heads. They were armed with ancient assault rifles while some others were armed with rocket launchers.

"They're attacking some of the drones." Finn noted. "That's good. That means there's a low chance they'll notice us while they're fighting each other." Simon said. "Are you sure we shouldn't help?" Finn asked his team. "Yeah, I don't think those guys have a chance with those drones, even if they have rockets." Jake added. "Susan, what do you think?" Frieda asked Susan.

Susan looks back and forth from Finn and the battle with an unsure look. "*SIGH* Okay, we'll help them. Maybe they'll thank us by not shooting at us next time we travel here." Susan agreed. "Alright!" Finn said excitedly. He transforms into Headmaster mode and links with Chop Shop before he, Backfire, and Jake rush in to help the natives fight the drones. "I guess I'll stay back here with you two." Simon said to Susan and Frieda.

As a drone was about to step on an injured native, Jake punched it away with an enlarged fist. "Ow! Now I remember why I don't fight giant robots! These guys are spiky!" Jake said in pain. Backfire drives around the drones in vehicle mode, shooting them as he passes between their legs. As they were distracted by this, Chop Shop jumps from shoulder-to-shoulder, poking his Night Sword between their armour and slicing their vital wires and cables. Jake grabs the drones by their legs and uses them to bash other drones into scrap metal.

"That's the last of them." Backfire said as he gathered with Chop Shop and Jake around the destroyed drones. Native soldiers then surround them, pointing their rifles at them. The Voyagers respond by putting their hands up in the air. Joining them were Simon, Susan, and Frieda escorted by more soldier with their hands up. "So much for being thankful." Simon said as he grouped with the team.

A soldier approaches Simon with their rifle lowered. "Simon, Backfire, is that you?" a muffled voice asked Simon. "You know my name?" Simon asked the soldier. The soldier unmasks themselves, revealing a young blonde woman. "Nancy?!" Simon and Backfire said simultaneously in surprise.

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

"You know her?" Jake said to Simon. "She's Nancy Witwicky, a daughter of my friend. I… I saw her and her brother taken by some blue swarm years ago." Simon said, taken aback. Another soldier approaches them. "Simon? As in the guy that buys salami from me?" the soldier said. He unmasks himself, revealing an older and balding man.

"It really is you!" the man said. "Mister Savoldi? The butcher?" Simon said in surprise. The rest of the natives unmask themselves, revealing them to be humans. "It's my entire neighbourhood!" Simon said. "The humans start murmuring amongst each other when they see Simon.

"How… how is this possible?" Simon wondered as he looked at everyone. "I couldn't believe it myself. After… what happened to dad, a swarm of robot bugs teleported everyone to underground bunkers with stasis pods. We didn't even know we were frozen until we woke up some years ago." Nancy explained. "What about you, Mister Antiquarian? We didn't see you when we got thawed." Savoldi asked Simon. "I did get frozen, but in a different way." Simon explained.

"What's with the giant dog?" "What've you been doing all this time "Do you know why we're underground?" Simon's former neighbours asked Simon. "Everyone, please, I need to process all this. Do you guys have a base or something where we can talk?" Simon asked them. "It's the street we used to live in. Follow us." Nancy told Simon. The humans lead The Voyagers to their base as they spoke amongst each other. "Guess they won't be shooting at us from now on after all.

Later, they are led to a street that has been restored to its pre-war state, with the exception of the road, which has been dug up and crops planted on the soil underneath and fed by street lights. They all enter a former bar building which is now a common area for the people. "This is Old Tarmac's. I used to come here every weekend with my friends." Simon told The Voyagers. The team and Nancy sat at a circular table while Backfire and the other humans gathered to hear their story. "So Simon, how've you been? Last we met, you were all blue, literally. I take it that your breakup didn't go so well, huh?" Nancy asked Simon.

"I'll explain that another time. What about you? Where's your brother Daniel?" Simon asked Nancy. Her mood switches to a rather sombre look. "Daniel… he went missing." Nancy answered. "Missing? What do you mean?" Backfire asked. "When everyone was unfrozen, we were all accounted for except for Daniel. He, just didn't show up." Nancy answered.

"I'm sorry to hear that. He was such a nice boy." Simon assured Nancy. "Well, that's enough about me…" Nancy said as she wiped away a tear. "Introduce me to your new friends." Nancy asked Simon. "Well, this is Finn; he's an adventurer. His brother is Jake, and he's magic or something. These two are Susan and Frieda; they're also adventurers." Simon introduced the team to Nancy. "It's nice to meet you all. Are you guys from the surface? What's it like up there?" Nancy asked.

"Well, it's been a thousand years since the war…" Simon said. "A thousand years?!" everyone else in the bar said in surprise. "We were asleep for that long?!" Nancy added. "It's not so bad. There are some mutants roaming around, but they're pretty friendly, most of them at least. People around the world are doing pretty good for themselves, too." Finn explained. "We still have internet." Backfire added.

"Do you think you can help find a way out of here? We searched everywhere and we couldn't find a way out." Nancy requested. "There were some quakes that opened up caves. We entered from a pretty radioactive place, but we can find another way out." Finn said. "Could you help us get to Cephalon Cryogenics? We're looking for someone there." Jake requested. "Yes, the dog talks." Simon told Nancy before she could say anything. "Cephalon? You mean that scam that convinces people to freeze their brains? Why do you need to get there?" Nancy asked.

"We're looking for someone. They sent a riddle telling us to get there." Finn answered. "On top of that, a drone sent an intact brain to us from there. It was alive!" Jake added. "You mean the brain-freezing thing actually works?" Nancy said in surprise. "Yeah, we have to get to them before something bad happens." Finn said. "We'd love to have the backup." Susan requested.

"Anything for Simon." Nancy agreed. "By the way, do you know what's up with those Decepticons?" Nancy asked. "They're not Decepticons. They're drone working for Lockdown; a dangerous bounty hunter. They're here for something, but we don't know what." Finn answered. "We'll have to bring out the big guns for those guys. Give us thirty minutes to prepare. We're right behind you." Nancy assured the team.

Much later, The Voyagers, Susan and Frieda, and ten of Simon's old neighbours including Nancy, were travelling further into the dark city towards Cephalon. "How did you guys get so skilled with military-issue weapons?" Simon asked his neighbours. "Some of the old guys and gals are ex-military, remember? Like Mister French." a young man from Simon's neighbourhood squad told him. They walk through the city for quite a while, finding nothing but ruins and junk. They do find skid marks on the road eventually.

A middle-aged man with a messy beard in the squad feels the tires. "They're hot. Those drones must've been here recently." the man told the others with a grizzled Southern accent. "Do you think they're here for the brains, too?" Finn wondered. "What makes you say that?" Jake wondered. "Remember what Lockdown said in Mexico? He said that he hunted me down secretly because, to his knowledge, humans were an endangered species. We always fought off poachers that hunt nearly-extinct animals. Maybe he's getting these brains because they're rare." Finn suggested.

"It's not too farfetched. In a universe with giant robots and aliens, and giant robot aliens, nothing is impossible." Susan said. They continue down the road, cautious as to what may pop up. Soon enough, they encounter some kind of tech district. "This is San Francisco, or at least part of it. We're getting close." Simon commented. They continue through the city to find similar ruins and scrap scattered all around.

Soon, they encounter Cephalon Cryogenics; a greyed, ruined building with a large logo of a brain, patrolled by some of Lockdown's drones. "There it is." Frieda said. "Do you guys have a plan?" Nancy asked The Voyagers. "We just go in swords slashing and take the stuff." Finn said. "That's… reassuring." one of the neighbour squad members commented with an unsure tone.

"Well, I don't hear anyone else with a plan, did I?" Jake said sternly to the neighbours. "I think it's a good plan. We do have two giant robots with us, after all." Susan approved. "Though I'd say large-sized, since they're only a foot or two taller than us." Frieda added as she looked at Backfire. "It's settled, then!" Finn said confidently. "Jake, what time is it?" "Fortress Raid Time!" Finn and Jake declared as they high-fived.

Finn combines with Chop Shop as Jake follows him with his legs stretched and his fists inflated. "You heard the man! Go, go, go!" Backfire encouraged the others. The team rush in following Chop Shop and Jake and attacks the drones. The neighbours utilize assault rifles and rocket launchers on the drones as Simon, Susan, and Frieda use M.H.M.s to bore holes in the drones. After taking out enough drones, they enter the facility.

After entering through the front doors, two neighbours close the double doors behind them and welds it shut. "That was a close one!" Nancy said. "We have never fought like that before in our entire lives! This is nothing like shooting those green goo things!" the bearded neighbour said. "The main cryogenics are all the way underground. To my knowledge there aren't any loading elevators leading down there, so we shouldn't expect any drones down there." Simon told the others. "I wouldn't put it past Lockdown to use a drill or something." Chop Shop said.

They all follow Simon further into the facility as the still-active security cameras watched them. They encounter an out-of-order elevator in a hallway. Backfire pulls the doors open and looks down the dark shaft. Jake then walks between his legs and looks down. "No elevator? No problem!" Jake told the others.

He wraps several tentacles around everyone and drags them down the shaft suddenly. He lets them down at the bottom of the shaft as the neighbours squirmed around. "Dude, control your talking mutant dog!" a middle-aged woman neighbour told off Chop Shop. "That's my brother you're talking about." Chop Shop retaliated. "Enough of that, Henrietta." Simon told the woman.

"That's Hank, Mister Indiana-Jones-but-more-wimpy!" Henrietta argued with Simon. "I prefer being compared to Brody, thank you very much." Simon said. "Focus, everyone. We've got some brains to rescue." Backfire said as he walked to down the hallway before them. The hallway they walked through was lined wall-to-wall with metal vault doors with icicles hanging from every edge. "Man, they really were doing all those brain-freeze stuff here." Nancy said.

Out of curiosity, some of the neighbours open the vaults that weren't so frozen and found rooms filled with brains in tanks, all frozen. "Ugh, they really were." Hank said in disgust before she closes a door. Some of the tanks were missing some brains, not as if some tanks were skipped over, but as if they were taken randomly. Simon was one of the ones who searched through the vaults, but more frantically. "C'mon, c'mon… where are you?" Simon said as he searched the vaults.

He soon stops at one empty tank and collapses on his knees. Finn, now separated from Chop Shop, finds Simon and comforts him. "Simon, are you okay?" Finn asked Simon softly. "He's… he's gone…" Simon said as he teared up. Finn escorts Simon out of the vault and joins with the others.

"There were some brains missing. I think that Lockdown guy was here first." Susan said. "That's impossible. He's a giant Transformer, he or any of his drones couldn't have gotten in here." Backfire said. "What about that thing you do to transform into a head? Can he do that?" Nancy suggested to Finn. "He can't do that… can he?" Jake wondered. They then hear something stumbling from within a vault.

"Butch, was that you?" Hank asked the bearded man. "I'm right here." Butch responded. They all look towards the vault behind Backfire. Backfire slowly opens the vault with his rifle ready in one hand. He opens the door, but finds the room devoid of anything but brain tanks.

"There's no one here!" Backfire said in surprise. They then hear a vault door creaking from behind them. They turn around and see a pale-yellow Headmaster with an opaque faceplate sneaking out of the vault. "Get him!" Finn pointed to the intruder. The mysterious Headmaster shields himself with a frozen brain contained in a glass tank.

"He's got a hostage!" Butch warned everyone. "Who are you? Are you working for Lockdown?" Finn interrogated the intruder. The intruder presses a button on the side of its head, turning his faceplace transparent and revealing a human brain suspended within. "It's… a brain!" Jake realized in horror. "Lockdown is using brains for his drones?!" Simon said in horror.

The Headmaster looks at Simon, causing it to twitch and clutch its head, as if it had a headache. It dropped the brain, but with lightning-fast reflexes, Finn caught the jar and delivered it to Simon. "Here you go, Simon." Finn said as he handed the jar to Simon. He looks at a plaque on the jar that reads: "Monk, Alvin.".

"Al… this is Al!" Simon said excitedly as he held up the jar.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

"It freaked out again! It must be the drone leader!" Backfire noted. The drone Headmaster was then fired upon by the neighbour squad as it dodged their bullets. It then acrobatically climbs up the elevator shaft and disappears. "Brains?! They were using brains?!" Jake said in surprise. "No, those drone back there didn't have any melon when we bashed them. I think Lockdown's using a brain for the drone leader 'cause they're smarter or something." Finn suggested.

"If it's smarts they're looking for, they won't find it in this brain." Simons said as he showed the team Al's brain. "That's Mister Monk's brain!" Nancy said as she read the plaque on the jar. "We need to get these head noodles outta here!" Finn commanded his team. Suddenly, the ground started to quake beneath them. "Earthquake!" Jake screamed. "Of course, we're in San Francisco!" Simon added.

Jake stretches himself into a ball around the others to protect them from the quake. After a while, the quake stops. "That was quick." Finn said. Jake stretches back into dog form to let everyone go. "Is it safe?" Susan wondered.

The ceiling above the elevator shaft is punched through by a giant metal hand for the others to become alert. A hook emerges from the hole and tears the ceiling apart, revealing Lockdown staring down at them. "Lockdown!" Finn exclaimed in disdain. "Finn the Human, of course you're here." Lockdown said. "You're gonna make these brains into drones, aren't you?!" Backfire accused Lockdown.

"My current drone general has been glitching lately, so I went and looked for some new brains." Lockdown monologued. "We're not letting you take them!" Jake insisted. More drones punched holes into the concrete walls of the vaults and secure the stored brains. "At this point, I think you will." Lockdown said. He backs away from the roof as the entire room starts shifting backwards.

"Weren't we underground?!" Frieda screamed. They look up and find that they are inside the cargo hold of a space ship flying through the sky. The room is being pushed by drones out of the cargo bay and is sent falling through the sky. "Hold tight, everyone!" Jake alerted everyone before stretching into a ball again to hold them. The room crumbles apart as it falls through the air when Lockdown's ship flies away.

"Are we gonna make it?!" Butch screamed. "I sure hope so!" Nancy yelled. Not even a minute after falling, they feel like they land on something. "We… landed?" Frieda said in surprise. Jake stretches back into a dog and reveals that everyone landed on a cloud. "We landed on a cloud?!" Nancy said in surprise.

"This is pretty normal for us, actually." Jake said. "How are we gonna catch up to that ship? We're on a cloud and are basically stranded!" Frieda wondered. They then hear a loud horn blaring in the horizon. "Was that a ship horn?" Susan wondered. Emerging from the clouds is a very familiar white battleship marked with The Voyagers insignia.

"It's Ursa Kildare!" Finn said as the battleship approaches them slowly. Upon a closer inspection, the ship is propelled by thrusters on the bottom of the hull and at the back. Ursa Kildare stops at the side of the cloud for a boarding ramp to deploy from the side. Disembarking from the ship is one of the prototype Minervabots. "Mom, thank Glob you're here! Those brains, Lockdown has them!" Finn informed the Minervabot.

"That's why I had Ursa Kildare in the air. I was keeping an eye on a space ship that's been in this area." Minerva told Finn. "We gotta hurry! Before he leaves Earth!" Simon told Minerva. "Everyone, get on board!" Jake commanded. The neighbours, and Frieda and Minerva start to board the ship quickly. "We'll see you later, Sharon!" Finn told Sharon before boarding with the rest of his team.

The boarding ramp retracts when everyone is on board and Ursa Kildare continues its course towards Lockdown's ship. Sharon waves as the ship flies past her cloud. On board the ship already are multiple Minervabots working on several parts of the ship from patrol to maintenance on deck. "Uh, why do you have ten moms?" Nancy asked Finn in confusion. "They're robots. It's a long story." Finn answered.

"Full speed ahead!" Minerva shouted to the Minervabots in the bridge piloting the ship. Ursa Kildare increases its thrusters' firepower and accelerates towards Lockdown's ship. Soon enough, they approach the behind of his crimson ship. "We're coming for you, Lockdown!" Finn declared. "So, do you have a plan this time?" Hank asked Finn. "Uh, yeah. Board that ship!" Finn answered confidently.

In Lockdown's ship bridge, dozens of drones are working on several terminals and consoles as Lockdown entered to meet the drone leader. "Fuel cells are at eighty-five percent charge, captain." the leader addressed Lockdown with a very robotic voice, even for Cybertronian standards. "We will leave for Nebulos as soon as we escape from this planet's atmosphere." Lockdown told the leader. They feel a tremor beneath their feet and almost fall down. "Hostiles on the starboard side!" the leader informed Lockdown.

Lockdown swipes his hook hand up to bring up a hologram screen displaying the flying battleship firing at Lockdown's ship's hull with its twin-barrel front naval artillery and missiles from stern-mounted launcher. "Those humans are resilient, I'll give 'em that. Activate Samus Blasters!" Lockdown commanded his crew. In defence, Lockdown's ship deploys smaller blasters on the right side of the ship that begin firing upon Ursa Kildare. The prototype Minervabot splits open her cranium, exposing the inner blue robotic brain, and projects a shield bubble around the ship. "This is getting weird." Hank said as the blue bubble enclosed the ship.

"Activate the Vandar shields!" Lockdown commanded his crew. The starboard side of Lockdown's ship was shielded by a red hologram shield that blocked the artillery fire. The ships continued exchanging blows on each other, all the while Finn and Jake have taken Springer to fly to the stern of Lockdown's ship. "Over there, at the cargo ramp!" Finn told Springer as he pointed to the closed ramp. Springer flies in closer and transforms into robot mode, using electromagnets on his palms to stick to the hull.

"Now, how do you suppose we get in? It'll take forever to bust through this thing, even for me." Springer asked Finn. "Leave that to me!" Jake told Springer. He stretches his way out of Springer's cockpit-chest and flattens himself to slip through the not-yet-pressurised gaps in the ramp. He enters the dark cargo hold and pulls on the Cybertronian-sized lever on the side of the ramp to open it. "Alright, we're in!" Finn said excitedly.

Springer climbs into the cargo hold and lets Finn out. Lockdown is then alerted to the three trespassing and views them through security footage. "It's a diversion! They're already in!" Lockdown realized before running to the cargo bay. "Where are those brains?" Finn wondered as he, Jake, and Springer search the cargo hold. Jake stretches to Cybertronian size to open large metal crates in search of the brains.

They soon find a crate with cold vapour seeping out of the top. "I think that's a cryogenic freezer! They've gotta be in there!" Springer told Finn and Jake. Springer opens up the crate and confirms its contents as frozen brains. "Let's get them home!" Springer declared as he closed the lid. As he transforms into vehicle mode, Lockdown blasts him in the chest with a laser blast.

"You people are a real pain, you know that?" Lockdown said as the drone leader walked to his side. Springer retaliates with blasts from chest-mounted guns. As the two fought, Jake dragged the crate towards the open ramp with large hands when the drone leader spots them before going over to stop them. "We've got incoming!" Finn warned Jake. Popping out of the back of Springer is Backfire in vehicle mode to rush to defend Finn and Jake.

As the drone leader swung its hook-hand at Finn, Backfire fired upon it with his rifles. "Not so fast, buddy boy!" Backfire sassed the leader. The drone leader locks its optics at Backfire and freezes up, playing his words over and over in its head like a broken record. It then recalls a blurred memory of those same words spoken by Backfire, only in a much happier tone. It suffers another headache and screams as Backfire looks in horror.

The drone leader tears its head off and throws it towards Lockdown, causing him to stumble over. "What are you doing?! As the humans would say; get your head in the game!" Lockdown scolded the drone leader as its head transformed slowly into Headmaster mode. "Springer, transform and get the cranium raisins outta here!" Jake commanded Springer. "Aye-aye!" Springer acknowledged before transforming into helicopter mode. He clamps his magnets onto the top of the freezer and flies it towards the exit.

Jake lifts Finn and Backfire into Springer as he flies out of the ship. "No, they're getting away!" Lockdown screamed as they escaped. He runs to the cargo bay and screams "Nooo!" as loud as he can. "Mom, we have the brains. Move on to the next part of the plan." Finn told Minerva through Springer's communicators. "Understood." Minerva acknowledged as she stood in the bridge with everyone else gathered.

"Initiate transformation sequence." Minerva commanded her Minervabots. Ursa Kildare transforms into its gigantic robot mode as it hovers in the sky. It turns to Lockdown's ship and karate chops its hull apart before transforming back into ship mode to let Springer back. Everyone soon witnesses Lockdown's ship falling from the sky, engulfed in fire. "Mission accomplished!" Finn declared as he touched down on the helipad.

Later in the Hub Dome's underground labs, Minerva has prepared dozens of cloud chambers for uploading the brains. The Voyagers, the neighbours, and Susan and Frieda witness the even as Al's brain was last to be placed. "Initiating cloud upload." Minerva announced. The chambers close and compress on the brains before multiple holographic screens come to life, displaying people long-passed and confused to their situation. The last to awaken was a bald, middle-aged black man, also confused.

"Where am I? Is this the future?" the man wondered with a raspy hood accent. "Al!" Simon called out to the holographic screen. "Simon? Izzat you?" the man wondered as the screen floated closer to Simon. "Al, you're alive!" Simon told Al. "Simon, whuh happened? I can't feel anything. We both dead?!" Al panicked.

"No, we're both in the future. I rescued you and some of the other brains from Cephalon with the help of my friends." Simon told Al. "How far into tha future? Three years? Ya look the same since last time I saw ya." Al wondered. "One thousand years, approximately." Minerva told the other intelligences. "One-thousand years?!" the collective intelligences screamed in surprise. "Please do not worry. I will keep Cephalon's promise to cure your terminal ailments and provide you new bodies in time. In exchange, you will help to provide knowledge on the old world, no matter how insignificant." Minerva told them.

"Simon, what kinda stuff have you been gettin' youself into?" Al asked Simon. "It's a looong story." Simon told Al. The two started talking as Finn conversed with his team. "Too bad we didn't find the riddle guy. "Maybe he'll send another one and lead us to other clues. Who knows?" Jake suggested.

Meanwhile in the Candy Kingdom, Princess Bubblegum was pacing around her lab in stress. "It's almost time… what could she want with me? Could I have started a war?" Princess Bubblegum wondered worriedly. Suddenly, a shape flies past her face and embedded itself into the wall beside her. It was another plain white envelope addressed to The Voyagers. "What the…" Princess Bubblegum muttered as she looked to the window from where the envelope flew from and sees a single thin slot that the envelope cut through.

THE END


End file.
